Considering a career in marketing? It’s more than selling a product. It covers various areas which require different skill sets. Marketing includes digital marketing, which deals with online ads and social media; brand management, which works on creating and keeping up a brand’s image; and market research, which looks at data to understand what consumers want and how markets are evolving. A career path in marketing is exciting and requires creativity and commitment.
Starting Your Career in Marketing
Once you’ve explored your options and worked out your career plan, you’ll need to get a relevant qualification. You’ll typically need a BA degree or other similar qualification. A BA degree teaches skills for marketing professionals to understand marketing strategies and the tools needed for the job.
Some entry-level positions in marketing career progression:
- Marketing assistant: helps with various marketing tasks, such as organising events, creating marketing materials, and tracking campaign performance.
- Social media co-ordinator: manages a company's social media accounts, creates content, and engages with followers to build the brand's online presence.
- Content creator: develops written, visual, or video content for websites, blogs, and social media to attract and engage customers.
Essential skills for marketers to learn
How to succeed in marketing? You must have skills that will help you excel in this field but also stay up-to-date in an ever-changing industry. You must be creative. Your ideas must be fresh and grab attention. You must be able to analyse data. This skill will tell you what’s working and how to improve. You must be able to communicate adequately. Communicating well in both writing and speaking is invaluable in marketing job roles. Digital literacy is a must for marketers. You must understand tools such as social media, SEO, and email marketing.
Advancing your marketing career
- Entry-level roles: marketing assistant, social media coordinator, or content creator.
- Mid-level positions: marketing manager, brand manager, or digital marketing specialist.
- Senior-level positions: marketing director, chief marketing officer or vice president of marketing.
To keep climbing the career ladder you must make connections in the industry. Networking will lead to new opportunities. Get certified in digital marketing or even project management. Continued learning is a must. It will keep your skills sharp and your knowledge of trends up to date.
Senior roles in marketing you can strive for
Top positions in any marketing department are generally the marketing director, chief marketing officer (CMO), and, in some cases, a vice president of marketing. The marketing director is responsible for leading the team, overseeing campaigns and ensuring that strategies align with business objectives. This role requires strong leadership and planning skills. The CMO sets the overall marketing strategy and works closely with other top executives, needing a clear vision and strong decision-making skills. The VP of marketing, like the CMO, focuses on putting marketing strategies into action, managing key projects, and making sure campaigns work well. To do well in these roles, you need to be strategic, a great leader, understand market trends and consumer behaviour, and communicate effectively with teams and stakeholders.
Different specialisations and niches you can go into
Marketing has many specialised roles. For example, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) experts help improve how well websites rank on search engines. Pay-per-click marketing (PPC) strategists run paid ads to bring in more targeted visitors and boost sales. Content marketing specialists create and manage engaging content to build a brand’s presence and attract audiences. Influencer marketing is popular, where professionals team up with influencers to promote products to their followers. Marketing automation uses software to automate marketing tasks and make campaigns work better.
Trends influencing the profession at the moment
Data-driven marketing is growing. Marketers now rely heavily on data and analytics to make decisions and determine if a campaign was successful. Sustainability is also a “buzzword.” Brands are becoming more eco-friendly and socially-responsible and they want their customers to know it. Like in other sectors, AI and machine learning is having an impact by automating tasks, personalising customer experiences, and providing deeper insights into consumer behaviour.
Here are some tips for long-term success in marketing
Marketing industry career tips help you remain relevant, grow professionally, and achieve long-term success. Here are a few tips:
- Adapt - the industry is constantly evolving. You have to adapt or you will be left behind. Be flexible and open to change.
- On-going learning - you can never know too much when it comes to marketing so keep your skills updated by attending courses, workshops and furthering your studies.
- Be your own brand - show off your skills by maintaining a strong personal brand. Use social media, network with colleagues and showcase yourself as an expert in the field.
A career in marketing is a path with loads of opportunities for growth and creativity. A starting role such as a marketing assistant or social media co-ordinator can, if you work hard and shine in your role, eventually lead to top positions like marketing director or chief marketing officer. You can also specialise in SEO, PPC, content marketing, influencer marketing and marketing automation. To succeed, you have to be flexible, keep learning, and build and maintain a good personal brand.
About The IIE’s Varsity College
The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE) of which Varsity College is a brand, is South Africa’s largest registered and accredited private provider of higher education. At Varsity College we understand that no two students are the same or learn the same. That’s why we make sure a student’s education is shaped around them; how they like to learn, what they are passionate about, what makes them tick, and what makes them thrive. Our Education by Design approach allows students to grow into their best, and creates a space where they can live, learn and play – their way.